Long Haul

"Yeah, so?"

"In less than forty-eight hours I can have sex."

"Hey. You tryin' to get my goat."

"Nope. Just pointin' out the facts that... wait a minute. It will actually be in less than forty-four hours if we use Eastern Standard Time."

"Listen. I really don't mean to be a grouch, but you are way too young to talk about stuff like that with an old geezer like me."

"Why? Can't your heart take it?"

"Jeez girl. You really do know how to get to a guy don't ya?"

"Okay. Okay. I'll behave. But promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll have the "birds and the bees" talk with me in two days."

"Okay. If you promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll not talk about stuff like that until we get to California."

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise. But when we get there, you better be prepared for a whole lot of questions comin' at ya."

"Okay. If you're still of the mind to do so two days from now, I'll do the best I can to answer your questions."

"Fine. Now, this is a serious question. Do you think we should detour to the Dakotas or Oklahoma and help with clean-up? In my opinion, that's the best way to celebrate Earth Day."

"Ordinarily, I'd agree. But, when we get to California, seein's as it's your eighteenth and all, I want to drop off these trailers and head to Oregon. If you want, you can go with me to the Avenue of Giants and I'll show you what Earth Day means to me."

"The Avenue of Giants? Sounds romantic to me."

"Oh, I guarantee you it is way more than romantic. In fact, every time I go there, I reaffirm my love, my profound love, for this planet."

"Can't wait to go. Step on it, will ya?"

"No tickets remember. I'll get us there on time. But, it will help greatly if you sing."

So she sang.

She sang songs from Puccini, Schubert, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, and Patsy Cline. She made up songs as we traveled through all those purple mountains on the way to what many consider to be the most beautiful place on earth.

I drove far into the night determined that she would wake up on her eighteenth birthday to the most magnificent place I'd ever been in my whole life. It was 2 A. M. on the morning of the twenty-second when I dropped off the trailers in San Jose and morning when I pulled on to the Avenue of the Giants five hours later.

THE FOREST PRIMEVAL

When I found a suitable spot, I pulled the rig off the road, made some coffee and waited 'til my co-pilot woke up.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Paradise."

"Where's the sun? How come it seems light out, but there's no sun?"

"You'll see. Drink your coffee. We've got some explorin' to do."

"Explorin'?"

"Yup. Finish now. Hurry up or we may be too late."

"Too late? Too late for what?"

"Finish up."

"All right all ready. "I'll hurry, but can't you give me a hint."

"Nope. Just finish, put on your shoes and be ready to be humbled."

"Ooh. Sounds kinky. Are we gonna have that sex talk now?"

"Nope. And oh year, Happy Birthday. Hurry, your present awaits you."

"Oh my god she says, you got me a present."

"Hurry."

She set her coffee down, laced up her shoes and went to open the cab door.

"Wait. Here wrap this bandanna around your eyes."

"Uh-oh. You really are a serial killer aren't you."

"Nope. But I don't know how else to help you unwrap your present without seein it too early."

"Okay. Anyway, I was just kiddin 'bout the serial killer stuff."

"I know. Now scoot."

I climbed down out of the rig and went around to her side.

"Now open the door and slide one foot down until I get a good hold on it."

She did and I helped her down out of the cab and got her standin' on the ground.

"Now listen."

"I don't hear anything."

"Listen."

She listened for a few seconds and then said, "I still don't hear anything."

"That's right."

"What's right?"

"There's no sound hear at this time of morning. No wind. No cars. No radio. No nothin'."

"Wow. You're right. It is eerily quiet."

"Now take my hand and follow where I lead you."

"Where..."

"Shh. Quiet now. Trust me. Just let the gentle pull of my hand guide you."

She did. She trusted me so I led her to the place I'd come to for years. I led her to the middle of paradise. I took her to the center of a stand of giant redwoods rising into the sky at least a couple, three hundred feet. I led her there and untied the bandanna and took it from around her eyes.

"Happy Birthday," I said as I walked away from her to sit at the base of one of the giants. "Oh my god. Oh my god. I've never..."

She fell to her knees looking up at the tops of the trees, raised her arms and cried out, "Thank you god. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

She put her face in her hands and cried. I too cried knowing the joy she felt at actually seeing these magnificent beauties up close. To me, there is no greater museum in all the cities of all the countries anywhere in the world. This was my church and I was glad to share it with her.

After awhile, she came and sat beside me. She asked me to tell her of my life, so I did.

I told her I was divorced and that our only son was killed in a car wreck years ago.

I told her I preferred being alone as there was less pain that way and I was free to come and go as I please.

I told her I liked being on the road and knew so many great places that were all over the country even as far away as Alaska and Florida.

I told her I liked Sushi and rice wine and I was most times just as happy with vegetables as I used to be with meat.

I told her I liked to watch farriers shoe horses.

I told her I used to play drums in a drum and bugle corps.

I told her there were things I was afraid of but one by one I sought them out to confront them.

I told her I like poetry.

I told her she was pretty.

"Do you think so?"

"Yes. Some lucky guy is gonna catch your eye and there will be magic. You'll never know anything like it."

"What about these trees."

"That is an experience that is bigger than anything we mere humans can describe."

"But we cut them down?"

"Yes. And that's one of the great travesties of the human race." "I've decided."

"Decided what?"

"I've decided my first sex question for you."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I've been thinkin' about it for a couple days now."

"Must be an important question."

"It is to me.

"Okay. Shoot."

"Will you be my first?"

And of course dear reader, you already know my answer.

On the way back to the rig, we spotted a deer about twenty yards away from us.

"Oh my god. Look. An omen."

"An omen?"

"Yeah," she said. "A sign."

"What do you think it means?"

"It means the forest approves of us. It wants us to help keep it pristine and intact"

"Us."

"Yeah. Just like at the end of the old time movie when the two guys go walking across the airport runway. We're in this together for the long haul"

"The beginning, huh."

"Yup. Just the beginning. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be dry as a bone. I'm gonna take everything you can give me until there ain't no more to take, both literally and figuratively. And of course we'll also work to help save the planet."

"By the way", I interrupted. "What's your name?"

She looked up at me and grinned so big I thought her head would disappear behind her smile.

"Angel."

"Angel, huh. It figures."